Enterprise Fables
by Hildwyn
Summary: Children from the far distant future should be able to learn some lessons from the NX01 crew, but what? A series of Enterprise fables complete with a Star Trek moral.
1. Intro

Enterprise Fables

By: Hildwyn

Rating (overall): PG-13 (each chapter will have an individual rating)

Summary: A series of fables (stories with a moral with a Star Trek twist), featuring characters, settings, and technology from the show, with original characters and concepts added in.

Introduction

April 5, 2845

I see now, class, that all of you have logged in and are ready to start with our next lesson. Please open file sf-ufp.22nd.shipnx01. Thank you.

As all of you should know by now, the first few centuries of exploration by Starfleet (including prior to the founding of the United Federation of Planets) was marked not only by increased awareness of other cultures and the value of infinite diversity (see IDIC for further material), but better understanding of themselves and invaluable lessons on what to do and not to do.

For example, Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise NX-01, in 2151, during a mission to a gas giant to save a Klingon scout vessel, realized that there might have been a better way to gain the help of one of the Klingon crewmembers- by appealing to her sense of duty and honor, without making a request.

Now there are many lessons to be learned from studying these original missions, and though not all of the lessons hold the same relevance now, it is important to understand how they learned them.

So next, we will move on to our first lesson from Earth's Starfleet's early days.


	2. Everyone Speaks Starfleet Standard, Righ...

Enterprise Fables

By Hildwyn

Everyone speaks Starfleet standard, right?

Rated: PG (for some swearing)

The Enterprise entered orbit around Dnarat IV, a small barren world, which, despite its climate, was home to numerous members of space faring species. It boasted the largest trading post (covering nearly 3/4ths of the planets entire surface) in 30 light years.

Originally, this small world had been home to a native species of flying marsupials, but those went extinct when the nearby planet of Busron created a penal colony. Due to an incredible twist of fate, luck, or what many secretly suspect is the universe's twisted sense of humor- it soon surpassed the original planet in production, trade, and finally wealth.

Captain Jonathan Archer of the _Enterprise_ took a shuttle pod down to the surface with a few crewmembers in order to procure some supplies for his ship.

"Alright everyone, we'll break up in groups of two, Malcolm and T'Pol, I want you to focus on the search for components, Malcolm, you're with me and Michaels and Jenkins I want you to try and locate anyone who is willing to trade for a star map." Archer said the last word with an amused glance at T'Pol.

"Of course," he added, "we might as well make our own as we are out exploring." He said with a light smile.

"I merely suggested that it would be more efficient to procure a map so that you could pick out any destination ahead of time." T'Pol said neutrally.

"But we never set out to be more logical, now did we?" Trip added with a smile to Archer.

As Archer and Reed headed off, Trip caught Jenkins by her arm.

"Good luck," he said with a wink.

"You, too, commander."

"Shall we?" Ensign Michaels asked allowing the crewman to pass in front of him.

They walked through and area filled with hundreds of aliens and cargoes with unknown purposes.

"Who will we ask?" Jenkins asked Michaels.

"They all look like merchants to me," Michaels said, "Let's try him, or err, it . . ." He trailed off, not entirely sure of what pronoun he was supposed to apply to the alien standing behind a stall.

Jenkins cleared her throat to gain the attention of the merchant.

Quickly, the alien turned around and with what seemed a scowl on its face, spoke rapidly in some language that bore an incredible resemblance to Russian spoken in a Spanish accent with a few shrill whistles added in.

"Um . . ." Jenkins said, or rather it was what she could not say, as she looked to Michaels helplessly.

"Translator?" She managed weekly.

"Huh?" Michaels asked, "I don't have one. Where is yours?"

"Left it on the shuttlepod."

"Damn."

"I know, sir."

"Shit."

"Sir?" Jenkins gave Michaels a look, clearly indicating that he, as the superior officer, was the one to come up with their action plan.

He glanced at the alien again, who was now regarding them with a blank look, and panicked. He was no translator or exo-lingu-watever that Ensign Sato was. _What do I do?_

"Uh . . ." _what a wonderful way to start! Say something in some language, you fool! The alien might have a translator on it._ "Starrrr . . . mapppp. We," he said, gesturing to himself and Jenkins, "want," he tried some bizarre gesture that was meant to demonstrate what he said, but left even Jenkins with a puzzled look on her face, "a starrrr-mapppp. Cool?"

Jenkins shook her head and tried to hide a smile, "you're hopeless, sir."

The alien however stared at them as if they had each sprouted another head – although for some species that is not all that abnormal.

Then abruptly he- it, smiled, and lifted its finger to its nose, speaking again in its strange language.

"What do you think that means?" Jenkins asked.

Michaels just shook his head.

The alien started flapping his arms up and down quickly- so that they appeared as a blur.

_It looks like he's about to take off and fly_, Michaels thought as he regarded the alien.

The alien stopped and turned and moved in the opposite direction and paused looking at them- was it looking at them _expectantly_? Michaels cursed the fact that real aliens, unlike the one in those old science fiction movies and books, used expressions that were so . . . well, alien for lack of a better word. Why couldn't a smile just be a smile?

The alien repeated its strange flapping gesture.

"I'm an engineer, not a translator, but I think that it may want for us to follow it, sir."

Michaels nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

They followed the alien through twisting series of stalls and finally came to a group of uniformed aliens.

The alien gestured to them excitedly, or so Michaels assumed, and started quickly engaging the others in conversation.

"Weewan tstaaar mrap. Isto dicte vramap querine," The alien said. One of the guards stepped forward and presented him with a large wrapped bundle as the others quickly moved forward and seized Jenkins and Michaels.

"We didn't do anything!" Michaels protested as his phase pistol was taken from him and cuffs put on his wrists.

"We are from the _Enterprise_!" Jenkins added quickly as she struggled in her handcuffs.

One of the guards pulled out a small device and hit a couple of buttons, said a couple of words, and stared at them.

"What the he-" Michaels started,

"Sir, I believe that may be a translator. We are from the Earth ship Enterprise. I'm a crewman aboard, and this is-"

The alien stared in his language, and all the sudden the words shifted into near-perfect English with a slightly clipped accent.

"Oh, good." Jenkins breathed.

"I request that you release us immediately," Michaels said, "We have done-"

"What you have done is expressed interest in selling contraband," The alien said flatly.

"No, no, we were only trying to get a starmap."

"What you tried to buy was twice-done cruspledu," he said looking at them, "and by Dnarat law, it is illegal."

"I don't even know what twice cuspleds-whatever is! We are here on a peaceful mission! Contact our ship, _Enterprise_ and they will confirm our story!" Michaels said, an edge of panic in his voice.

Michaels and Jenkins were hauled off to a detention center for thieves and others caught trading illegal merchandise, and it was until a bit later that Archer and the others realized that something was wrong when they could not locate their missing crewmembers.

This nearly led to dangerous misunderstanding for E_nterprise_, and possibly even for Earth, had Archer and the others not brought their own universal translator and managed to convince the Dnaratians of the sincerity of what they said.

So students, the moral of our story: _Never leave your ship without a universal translator._


	3. I Wonder What This One Does?

Enterprise Fables

By Hildwyn

I Wonder What This One Does?

Rated: PG

Note: Because does not work with anything well to distinguish passage of time, or a scene change, short of creating a new chapter 'XVIIIVX' shall indicate precisely that.

* * *

It had not been a good day, Crewman Thomas reflected. First, he managed to sleep through not only his alarm, but his bunkmate's own morning preparations for duty, with the result that he only had enough time to change his clothing, run a comb through his hair, and run to his next shift. There was not even enough time to eat.

Then, when he got into the turbolift, the whole thing decided to break down on him and strand him in there for a whole hour, while they waited for the repair crew to rescue them.

When he finally did make it to his shift he was chewed out by his CO for not only being late for the shift, but because his last report was late as well. Not only that, but he was also reported to Captain Archer, and had to go meet with him later today.

At that point, he had wondered how it could possibly get any worse, but then again, that the problem isn't it? Every time you wonder that, it does get worse.

Then they ran across an old abandoned station, and Thomas was chosen to be one of the away team- something that he never would have expected to happen. Nevertheless, Archer was renowned through the fleet as not only a tough commanding officer when he needed to be, but fair, and good at motivating people to work better. Most likely, the fact that he understood that sometimes a joke, and not yelling, would suffice for putting people in line.

Now, standing on this powerless alien station, with God-knows-what-it-was shooting at the away team, Thomas wished that he never had woken up this morning.

Another bolt of phased energy lanced above his head and the crate he was hiding behind, and Thomas winced and slid further down the side of the crate.

Next to him, Ensign Michaels quickly jumped up and returned a few blasts of his own before he ducked down again and turned to Thomas with a grin.

_Good God,_ Thomas thought, _is every single armory officer in the fleet thrilled when they get to do a little shooting?_

"Any luck?" Michaels asked, breaking through Thomas' thoughts.

"None," he said shaking his head, "There is too much interference; I can't get a message through to Enterprise."

"Well, I'm sure they will start wondering what is happening at one point. Besides, it isn't like we aren't holding our own," Michaels said.

Thomas just groaned and let his head fall back against the crate. Too bad he had not managed that earlier when it would have made a difference.

Thomas tugged nervously at his uniform as he entered the bridge, and headed right to the Captain's ready room.

XVIIIVX

Ensign Michaels, who was currently sitting at tactical, looked up and winked at Thomas. Count on Michaels, one of the chattiest people Thomas had ever met, next to Crewman Jenkins and perhaps Commander Tucker, and certainly the chattiest armory officer he had ever met, to already have hear of Thomas' being chewed out by Ensign Oraveczová for being late for his shift, and the whole report issue.

Thomas suppressed the urge to groan, and punched the button on the door, indicating to the captain that there was someone waiting to meet with him.

"Come!" Thomas heard the raised voice, and entered, feeling the slight breeze as the doors rushed closed behind him.

"Ah, Crewman Ryan Thomas, I trust you have been doing well?" Archer asked in a decidedly friendly way.

"Fine, sir," he said, stiffly at attention.

"Relax, crewman," Archer said.

"Yessir," Thomas said.

"So I hear that you passed in a report late, and were detained in the turbolift for a while today, and received quite the reprimand from Saskia today."

"Yessir," Thomas said, praying that this would soon be over.

"I've spoken to her already, so she won't be doing any more yelling, but she did mention that this is the second report that was late this month, and that, crewman, we can't just allow to happen. This is Enterprise, and I don't know how these things were handled on your last assignment, but we won't allow it to happen here."

Thomas only nodded. He knew the next part that was coming. He was going to be told that he would be transferred or court-martialed, or flogged, or . . .

At this point, the rational part of his brain was trying to tell him that he was not thinking clearly, but was not succeeding.

"Have you been on an away mission recently?"

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Thomas stared at Archer as if he had all the sudden turned blue and sprouted a pair of antennae.

"You weren't one of the ones who went to Risa, were you?"

"No, sir."

Archer just nodded and stood and went over to the viewport, and after a moment turned back to Thomas.

"So, maybe you've been a bit distracted lately?" Archer asked, and then moved on without waiting for an answer, "It's normal, you haven't had shore leave, or a chance to go out and do some real exploring. So this is what we are going to do."

_Here it comes,_ Thomas thought.

"We are going to send you-"

_To the brig._

"-On an away mission." Archer finished.

XVIIIVX

"Come on, we've been sitting here too long. We'll make a break for that door there," Michaels said.

"Are you mad? We'll never make it!" Thomas exclaimed.

"Of course we will! I'll lay down some covering fire for us, and we'll go through the door. What could be easier?"

_Many things,_ Thomas thought, but instead he nodded.

"Alright, wait . . . wait . . . now!" Michaels jumped up and started shooting wildly in the opposite direction as he and Thomas took off for the door. As they neared it, Michaels aimed one shot at a panel next to the door, and it obligingly opened for them before they ran straight into it.

The doors slid shut behind them, and the firing against them ceased.

"Phew! I wasn't sure we would ever make it," Michaels said as Thomas glared at him.

"Now let's see where we are, do you have a tricorder on you?"

"I did," Thomas admitted, "until it was hit by one of the stray shots."

"That could present a problem."

"No kidding."

"Well . . . we could use that panel over there," Michaels said.

Both Michaels and Thomas walked over to it.

"Looks like some kind of com device," Thomas said examining it.

"Not my specialty."

"What do we do?"

"Hit a button."

Thomas looked at Michaels.

"No offence, sir, but are you mad? I mean, that button could do anything."

"We'll never know if we never try."

Thomas had to admit that Michaels had a point, but it was not exactly Starfleet standard procedure.

"Just pick one," Michaels said.

Taking a deep breath, Thomas hit one of the buttons, and waited what seemed an eternity for something to happen.

"Huh, guess it does nothing."

With those words, both were thrown to the side of room, and pinned by several Gs.

What the two unfortunate crewmembers did not know was that they had entered a special compartment meant to dispose of waste, or unwanted passengers. When Thomas hit the button he deactivated the magnetic seals which held the compartment to the rest of the ship, and left them floating with limited air on board, no power, and no clue as to what was happening.

The moral here: _Do not, under any circumstances, press a button when you have no clue as to what it does._

* * *

I want to thank JacobedRose for the review. Here's your next chapter! Sooner than I expected to get it done, as well! 


	4. Flight Test

Enterprise Fables

By Hildwyn

Flight Test

Rated: G

* * *

"It's amazing that the stars don't twinkle out here," Crewman Jenkins said as she looked out the main viewport of the shuttle.

T'Pol looked up from her controls.

"That would be illogical, Crewman. What effect you are referring to is the product of observing light traveling through your planets atmosphere," T'Pol responded.

Trip turned in his chair and winked back at Jenkins.

"Don't let her get to you; she likes to suck the wonder and amazement out of everything."

"I was merely pointing out that-"

"We know, we know," Trip said cutting her off. T'Pol raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back to the controls.

Silence reigned in the shuttlepod for a few minutes.

"Karen, you were cleared to fly a shuttlepod before we left spacedock, right?" he asked Jenkins.

"Well," Jenkins paused, "sort of. I received the training but I never passed the test," she said, deliberately avoiding mentioning that she did fail the test. But then that was why she carefully choose how she said it, 'never passed the test' didn't actually meant that she failed it, it could be taken to mean that she never did take the test.

"I see," Trip said thoughtfully, "hey, T'Pol, how long do we have before _Enterprise_ will rendezvous with us?"

"Nearly three hours and twenty minutes. That will give us plenty of time," Trip said grinning.

"For what?" Jenkins asked, beating T'Pol to the same question.

"To give you the test," he answered.

"Here? Now?" Jenkins asked aghast. It had been nearly a year since Enterprise's launch, and she had not spent a single second of that time anywhere near a simulator. She was not even close to being prepared.

"Yeah, you'll do fine."

"Commander, I must question your reasons for doing this now of all times," T'Pol said.

"Well, we're out here, aren't we? Besides, most of the crew should be cleared to fly and land the shuttlepods, in case all the other people are incapacitated or unable to. Besides, why wait to do it? It would just require another trip by all of us to do it," Trip said.

"There is some logic in what you say, however the overriding force here would be whether or not Crewman Jenkins is prepared to fly the shuttle at this moment."

"Well, are you?" Trip asked, glancing back at Jenkins.

"Uh," Jenkins said, worried, "sure, why not?"

Trip smiled, "Thatta girl!"

Trip got up from the pilot's seat and moved out of the way so that Jenkins could take it. Jenkins could not help but glance over at T'Pol as she took the pilot's chair- and though she showed no sign of emotion, Jenkins could not help but guess that there was probably some anxiety that the Vulcan was feeling- if they really did just hide their feelings and really have them. Not that she could blame her if she did have that feeling- right now she would swear that there were a couple dozen butterflies in her stomach moving around.

"Is there some pre-set course that you intend to have Jenkins take?" T'Pol asked.

"You don't have to talk over me," Jenkins said, "I am here."

"That was never my intention. I apologize if it came across that way to you," T'Pol responded.

"I was thinking we would head somewhere off to starboard- where there are no asteroid fields or anything to interfere- we could try a few banks and rolls, and then try landing on _Enterprise_ when she comes," Trip said.

"If you believe you are capable," T'Pol said, direction the statement to Jenkins.

Jenkins gave a half-hearted smile, "I think I can manage the first part."

"Good," Trip said, "let's go."

* * *

Half an hour later, after practicing a few rolls, even T'Pol could find no fault with Jenkins' piloting.

"Commander," T'Pol said, "do you see those reading on heading 34.5 degrees?"

Trip leaned over his station.

"Yeah, I see it."

"We are altering course to investigate; we still have two hours and forty-eight minutes until the rendezvous," she said, then glancing at Trip, "unless you have any objections, Commander?"

Trip shook his head.

"Set course," T'Pol ordered Jenkins.

"What's that?" Trip asked, as a loud screeching sound came over communications.

"Patching it through the UT," Jenkins said, "It sounds like it might be some form of communications."

"It is coming from that buoy," T'Pol said, "which is 40 meters off the port bow."

A couple of minutes later the screeching changed into English.

'_Warning, do not cross! This is area claimed by the Government of'_ **screeeeech scraaaaape**. '_This is your final warning! Do not cross!'_

"Get us out of here, Crewman!" T'Pol ordered, just before two ships jumped out of warp next to them.

"How long 'til we cross the border?" Trip asked.

"Five seconds, sir," Jenkins responded.

The shuttle pod crossed the invisible boundary just moments before phasors blasted through the area it had been.

"The two vessels appear to be breaking their pursuit, and are holding position," T'Pol said.

"Good thing. You figure they might make a 'do not enter' sign a bit more prominent," Trip said, joking.

Jenkins nodded.

This time, the three Enterprise crewmembers were lucky, but luck isn't always good in space.

The lesson this time: _Don't cross and buoys, or 'space signs' unless you know what they are saying._

* * *

Note: This story and its moral, was, errr, roughly inspired by my recent road test. Better luck next time, eh? 


End file.
